At the service of the Catholic Church

“Grief is not a disorder, a disease, or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical, and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve.

— Earl A. Grollman

Our Good Shepherds

Fr. James Brady, Fr. Stephen Pellessier, and Fr. Donald Bernard share a little of their heart about Red Bird Ministries and how it’s been a gift to them as a priest.

Bring Red Bird Ministries to Your Diocese + Parish

Red Bird Ministries has received approval from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and is listed in the Official Catholic Directory.

CURIA EPISCOLALIS DIOCESE LAFAYETTENSIS

We are most grateful to Red Bird Ministries homebase the Diocese of Lafayette for their support.

  • Most Reverend Bishop Douglas Deshotel
    Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette

  • Kelley Chapman - Diocese of Lafayette
    Director of the Office of Marriage and Family Family Life

  • Maureen K. Fontenot, Chancellor of the Diocese of

    Lafayette

Red Bird Ministries is working across the nation to bring Red Bird Ministries to the 32 territorial archdioceses and 144 territorial dioceses with your help.

We were so excited to learn that the USCCB has released the new document that was voted on by the bishops this summer “Called to the Joy of Love: National Pastoral Framework for Marriage and Family Life Ministry.” This document lays out a support framework for accompaniment and in Pillar III, 3.3.3 states Accompanying couples who have lost a family member, especially a child. We are so grateful that the Church sees families who are hurting and has created a framework for ministers to respond.

5 Reasons Your Parish Should Have a Bereavement Ministry

  • 1. Jesus told us to comfort those who mourn.

    Jesus says in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” There are mourners in your parish. Will you comfort them?

  • 2. It applies to everyone at some point.

    That is why a ministry for those who are grieving is such a good thing. Other than birth and taxes, grief is the only thing guaranteed to affect every parishioner at some point.

  • 3. It’s what people are looking for.

    Funerals pull lapsed Catholics back into Church, sometimes for the first time in decades. All of these are very good reasons to be prepared to minister to the grieving.

  • 4. It's Easy With Red Bird.

    We’re in the midst of a small-group renaissance. Most likely, you can also contact your parish office. If you are willing to put in the work to lead a small group, the pastor and his council should be happy to help you succeed.

  • 5. The return on investment is high.

    When your parish supports someone in a time of grief, it doesn’t just affect that person. All of their family and friends learn that they were able to turn to the Catholic Church during a painful time. That plants a seed for the future.

Read the article on Ascension Press

Take the FREE information course “How to Support Families of Child Loss”

Everything you need to understand how to support families of child loss, and information to get started as a leader.

 
How to Support Families of Child Loss

This course will provide leaders with the information on how to serve families of child loss, as well as an opportunity to discern if they are ready to bring Red Bird Ministries to their parish or diocese.

New!!

Get a pack of our new tri-fold brochures to place inside your church parish, adoration chapel, confessional, or cemetery office.

Want to bring RBM to your parish, but need the info?

We have a PowerPoint presentation that you can showcase to your pastor. Just fill out the form below, and we will send you the presentation.

Parishes & Clergy

 

Red Bird Ministries provides local churches with the tools and resources to help families understand grief, how to navigate through it, and take practical measures to begin the healing process. Red Bird’s programs are Catholic because of the critical role the Church’s Sacraments play in the healing process.

We would love to send you a FREE digital review pack by filling out our Insight Survey click below.

Red Bird Ministries provides:

  • Parish Training & Program Implementation

  • In-person or virtual grief support group settings

  • Leader Manuals

Learn More.

The easiest way to learn more about what we do and who we serve is by scheduling a call with our team.

FAQs

Because grief ministry does not exist in the Church today, we are pioneering a grief support program.

Here are a few FAQs to help you understand our methodology and how we built a sustainable universal grief support ministry for families of loss. This is our gift to the Church.

Clergy Testimonials

 

“As a priest it can be really overwhelming to walk with a family who loses a child. But Red Bird Ministries gives me a lot of hope because now I have a resource that I can give to a family so that together we can journey through the suffering.” — Rev. Kyle White - Sacred Heart of Jesus - Broussard, LA

“Red Bird Ministries is a unique and invaluable ministry for grieving parents who are looking for hope in the face of tragedy. It is a relief to know there is a caring, knowledgeable community who will help accompany my parishioners in their darkest hour.” — Rev. Garrett McIntyre - St. Bernard - Breaux Bridge, LA - Founders Home Parish

“Red Bird Ministries has brought about evangelization and healing through a community of grieving parents. Shining the light of Christ into the darkness that can accompany loss has built unbreakable communities in my parish that regularly give one another the consolation of Christ Crucified and Risen. It is a truly irreplaceable ministry that fulfills an important and unique need in the domestic church.” — Rev. Stephen Pellessier - Our Lady of Wisdom - Lafayette, LA

Rev. Kyle White

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Broussard, LA

 

“The Second Vatican Council encouraged the laity to embrace their identity and apostolate in the Church; Red Bird Ministries is precisely what the Council had in mind. It is a ministry for grieving parents by grieving parents; a ministry that I, as a priest, simply cannot and should not try to simulate. This ministry makes the Church more robust in her mission and care for souls.” — Rev. Blake Dubroc - St. Bernard - Breaux Bridge, LA

“It is a surprisingly common phenomenon to encounter in pastoral ministry that when someone loses a child they lose touch with their faith. I was happy to see how Red Bird helped a friend of mine actually become a parishioner of mine by helping them approach the mystery of grief and overcome their disconnect with their faith that was frustrating them. My friend went from removed and on the fringe to becoming someone united and actively serving the Mystical Body in our parish.” — Fr. Nicholas DuPré - St. Joseph - Parks, LA

“I highly recommend support of Red Bird Ministries and its support for parents who have lost children and suffer a unique type of grief. Having been a spiritual director at several of the seminars, I was able to see both the relief experienced by the directees as well as the renewed ability to know Jesus’ Love for them despite having been put to the test.” — Fr. James Brady - St. Pius X - Lafayette, LA

Fr. Nicholas DuPre'

Watch our interview with Fr. Nicholas DuPre’. He gives a beautiful testimony about Red Bird Ministries has impacted his ministry work and gives his pastoral point of view.

 
 

Preaching Materials

Fr. Kevin McQuone from St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Panama City, FL used our What is Normal Reflection to preach about child loss.

Download the resource

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